The present invention relates to a detector that accompanies goods being transported to determine whether the goods have been transported in a recommended position and more particularly to detect whether the goods have been inclined at an angle greater than a predetermined angle or have been subjected to a shock greater than a predetermined magnitude.
There are many goods, materials, manufactured articles and the like which require that they be transported with care and in a certain position. In the early days, the only way of fulfilling these requirements was to stencil certain instructions onto the packages. These instructions frequently proved to be insufficient since it was common for the contents of the packages to be received at their destination in a damaged condition. Moreover, it is often difficult to determine whether a package has been subjected to excessive shock just by the condition of the package. In any case, there always remained the possibility that the maximum angle of inclination or shock had been violated during shipment but that the goods had been restored to their correct position such that they would later operate incorrectly because of the shipping problems. Specifically, shipping problems arise when a package of such goods was tilted more than the pre-determined maximum angle or subjected to excess shock. For example, computerized telephone switching modules represent such a case in point. The modules cannot be made insensitive to a suspension in any orientation except in the upright position. As these modules are shipped, a tilting angle by only 30xc2x0-45xc2x0 can damage the module with its printed circuitry. Flower arrangements are another example of a package that when shipped cannot be tilted more than the pre-determined maximum angle or be subjected to excess shock.
What is needed, therefore, is a device that indicates on the arrival of the materials at their destination whether or not they have been transported with the recommended care and in the recommended position. The device should be able to indicate if the package during transit had been tilted beyond a maximum pre-determined angle or been subjected to excess shock. There are relatively few devices made and marketed that have been designed to give an indication of both sustained shock and tilting. Such devices have had drawbacks; for example, a lateral impact or acceleration will usually activate the device into its original position, or cause it to indicate a tumbled condition. Although the impact, or acceleration, may or may not be sufficient to cause damage to the contents of a container, these prior art devices would not differentiate between such impact and improper tilting. Other previous tilt devices can be reset with care so that an unsuspecting customer may be duped into receiving a package that has been mishandled.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an en route package sensing apparatus that overcomes disadvantages of previous detectors. More particularly, the en route package sensing apparatus should not be able to allow a user to reset the apparatus once it had been activated and a result is shown.
The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for monitoring a package that is being transported. The novel improved apparatus for monitoring a package during its transport is based on attaching a package sensing device to the package that provides an indication whether or not the package has been tilted beyond a pre-determined angle or has been subjected to excess vertical shock. Thus, according to one aspect of the invention, an en route package sensing apparatus for attaching to a package comprises a reservoir having a fluid, a tilt indicator section having an X direction indicator including an X capillary coupled to the fluid in the reservoir, a Y direction indicator including a Y capillary coupled to the fluid in the reservoir, and a Z direction indicator including a Z capillary coupled to the fluid in the reservoir, wherein the fluid from the reservoir flows through one of the X capillary, Y capillary, or Z capillary to a respective corresponding direction indicator in response to tilting the en route package sensing apparatus in a direction corresponding to the particular direction indicator.
According to another aspect of the invention, the X direction indicator, the Y direction indicator, and the Z direction indicator each include fluid absorbent material and the fluid causes the fluid absorbent material to change color indicating contact between the fluid absorbent material and the fluid. Once a direction indicator changes color, it is an indication that the package has been tilted in excess of a pre-determined angle. To aid in discerning whether a particular direction indicator has been activated, the fluid is colored so contact with the fluid absorbent material will be apparent.
According to another aspect of the invention, the reservoir is sealed having s pierceable openings for the X capillary, the Y capillary, and the Z capillary. Once the X capillary, the Y capillary, and the Z capillary pierce the reservoir, the en route package sensing apparatus is activated. Tilting the en route package sensing apparatus beyond a predetermined angle will cause a direction indicator to be discolored. A U-shaped section containing the reservoir is configured to slidable mount to the tilt indicator section and pierce the sealed reservoir with the X capillary, the Y capillary, and the Z capillary to activate the en route package sensing apparatus.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the en route package sensing apparatus further comprises a shock indicator section having a shock capillary configured to sense vertical shock experienced by the en route package sensing apparatus. More fluid will fill the shock capillary in response to increased vertical shock experienced by the en route package sensing apparatus. Thus, if the package is dropped, the shock capillary fills with fluid. Depending on the severity of the drop, more or less fluid fills the shock capillary.
The above and additional advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.